BE CONFIDENT

7 Ways to Look and Sound Powerful

How to unleash your inner lioness, excerpted from Kate White's latest success guide, I Shouldn't Be Telling You This

7 Ways to Look and Sound PowerfulHow to unleash your inner lioness, excerpted from Kate White's latest success guide, I Shouldn't Be Telling You This

You know a woman with power when you see her, don't you? She has a certain aura around her. Over the years, I've been able to meet a number of women who have a lot of power in their jobs--Hollywood studio presidents, for instance, and U.S. senators. I once even had the privilege of hosting a luncheon at the White House with then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. Talk about a woman with an aura, who's learned how to be confident.

When you radiate strength through your physical actions, such as your body language and your voice, you signal to those around you that you are the person in charge and you deserve respect. As you gain self-confidence over time, you'll naturally begin to come across with more authority. Some tips to get you started:

2. When you are having a conversation, position your body so that your toes are pointing at the other person. It shows you aren't intimidated.

3. When you're talking to someone, hold the other person's gaze. Powerful people make you feel as though you're the only person in the room.

4. Go deep with your voice. "Deeper voices just seem stronger," says Glass. "Squeeze down on your abs when you speak to assure your pitch is low." Glass recommends that you modulate your voice so that it's not too soft (you'll seem weak) or too loud (you'll seem desperate for attention). You don't want to speak in a monotone, though. Stress descriptive words so you sound enthusiastic.

5. Lose the uptalk. That's when your pitch goes up at the end of sentences and you sound uncertain of what you're saying.

6. Smile less, nod less. These are ways we connect with a speaker. Both sexes smile and nod to people who are more powerful than they are, but studies show that women tend to smile and nod more to peers. It's nice that we connect so well with others, but too much smiling and nodding can make you seem needy to please.

7. Never let them see you sweat. No matter how rattled you feel in a particular situation, do your best to keep your cool.